9 new Nazi war crimes cases sent to German state prosecutors

BERLIN – The main federal agency that investigates Nazi war crimes in Germany has turned over nine new cases to state authorities for possible prosecution.

Berlin's taz newspaper reported Monday that the cases involve guards from the Auschwitz death camp, and the Mauthausen, Buchenwald and Ravensbrueck concentration camps. Mauthausen was in Austria and Auschwitz in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Head prosecutor Jens Rommel, who confirmed the taz story to the dpa news agency, says most of the suspects are in their early to mid-90s.

Rommel's office doesn't have the authority to press charges, so state prosecutors will now have to decide whether there's enough evidence to file charges.

Under German law, camp guards have been successfully prosecuted for accessory to murder by proving they were present and helped camps function while killings took place.